Boll-breaking and cotton-separating machine



Dec. 11, 1928.

J. E. MITCHELL BOLL BREAKING AND COTTON SEPARATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1927 Jaw/M 15'. Mrs/ 51.4. 5) M Wan/.4 21 *ToeMe'Ys Patented Dec. 1 1, 1928. I v i UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

. JOHN E. MITCHELL, or sr. LOUIS, missounr.

i BULL-BREAKING AND oo'rron-snrnanrms MACHINE.

\ I Application filed February 14, 1927. Serial No. 167,974.

This invention relates to certain new and cylinder. Such hulls and trash pass into a useful improvements in boll breaking and" trough 11 in which is mounted a worm concotton separating machines, and has for its veyor 12 which continuously removes the general object to improve the general arhulls and trash deposited in the trough from 1' rangement and operation of parts characterthe machine. Located to theright and below 1 istic of machines of this type heretofore inthe saw, cylinder 8 is a doffer 13 adapted to ro- .vented by fne. My invention is concerned tate in the direction shown by the arrow and particularly with improvements in the ma- Operating to continuously remove cotton carchines of my prior Patents No. 1,030,913 and ried around by the teeth of the saw cylinder 05 No. 1,322,927. and discharge it out of the machine. To the The elements or working parts of the maright of the'breaker cvlinder 5 and above the chine of the present invention are substankicker roll 7 is an inclined guard-or deflecttially the same as those shown in my prior ing'board 14 which,as sh0Wn,has its lowerend patents referred to, but the arrangement and located immediately above the kicker roll and 70 15 operation f th parts such as to accomits upper end extending well above the surplish entirely different results, or rather, im-- face of the breaker cylinder, and in efiect, be-

1 proved results, and particularly in the direcing substantially"tangential to the circular tion of so co-ordinating the operations of the path described by the outer ends of the beater breaker cylinder, saw cylinder, and kicker arm 6. The pr0vision or disposition ofi this 7 roll, that a great improvement in the quandeflector board is an important featureof the j- I titative separation of cotton fromthe bolls Invention and its function will beset forthin' j and mixed cotton and hulls acted on by the the descrlption-of the oper ti0n If saw cylinder results. In operation, the breaker cylinder 5 rotat- In order that the advantages of the present mg in the direction shown by the arrow, picks embodiment of my invention may be better off-the bolls containing the cotton that are understood, I will first describe the same in' forced into the machine by thefeed rollers 3, detail and then refer to the machines of my 4, and after breaking, or partially breaking, prior patents and point out the advantages he bolls, forces the mixed unbroken bolls, in the operation of the former over the latter. loose hulls and cotton down the inclined hull- I Referring first to the drawing, the view board 9 into contact with the rotating saw illustrates in cross-section a machine concylinder 8. The loosened hulls and trash structed and arranged according to my inven-' fall through the opening .10 defined by the m 7 bottom of thehullboard 9 and the face of the 1 In this drawingjthe numeral 1 indicateagsaw cylinder 8, and into thetrough 11 where generally, the casing enclosing the moving the'conveyor '12 discharges same from the parts and provided on its upper side with an machine; r 5; 1

inlet. or hopper 2 in which are located feed The balanceof the cotton'and hulls, with rollers 3, 4 arranged torotate toward each any remaining unbroken bolls, is carried up other, or in opposite directions. Below these by the saw cylinder8tothkicker roll 7 which,

' feed rollers .there is mounted a rotatable rotatinginthe direction shown bythearrow, H e breaking cylinder 5 having beater arms 6pivoperates to knock the unbroken bolls and hulls g; otally mounted thereon'and adapted to be Troseparate'dfrom the cotton back into the break-- f tated in the direction shown by the arrow. 7 er cylinder,.or in other words, into the pathof To the right of the. breaking cylinder, as the beater arm 6, where they are subject to 45 shown in. the drawing, thereis rotatably additional beating action of these members mounted a kicker roll 7 adapted to move in and are again carried around and thrown the direction shown by the arrow thereonand against the saw ;.cy]inder at the dischaatrge in functional relation to the periphery of'a-Lopening 10 for the hulls,f'f. This operation of saw cylinder 8 which is adapted to be rotated'iihrowing unbroken'bolls back into the break I in the direction shown by the arrow. Q'lhe' ier'cylinder by'the kicker roll? is repeated as f breaker cylinder is mountedin a chamber the ;'of ten asiis necessaryjor the bolls to'be broken '1 lower side of which is formed by an inclined fgso that the j-cotton a'yg 'be freed ,and the hullboard 9 the lower end of which terminates loosened hullsfjescape.pasti"the.sawl'cylinder I at a suitable distance from the periphery oi -through theg'fo g 10.j ,lnjthe meantime 4 55 the saw cylinder 8 to provide an outlet 10-all cotton free from theboll's to such an exj' 1' 'for the escape of hulls and trash past the saw tent that it can be firmlyiengaged by th 2' substantially as shown so thatany hulls or unbroken bolls thrown against it by either of the two rotating members referred to will be deflected back into the breaker cylinder;

otherwise, a considerable portion of the hulls and trash would be carried around by the kicker roll 7 and through the space indicated by 15 and the lower edge-of the deflecting board or other stationary part of the casing.

It may be pointed out in this connection that any longitudinal space, no matter, how small, such as that shown at 15,-and defined by the rotating kicker roll on the one side and a stationary" part on the other side, has very great capacity for carrying through hulls and trash or even cotton, and it is very important to deflect everything away from any point of approach of the kicker roll to a stationary part of the machine. It is necessary, of course, that the kicker roll should rotate in proximity to such a fixed part,.actin as a guard, as otherwise unopened bolls hu s and the like, would be thrown over the kicker roll by the breaker cylinder or else be carried over by the kicker roll itself and thus be carried out by the saw without having the cotton separated therefrom.

In order that the purpose and advantages of the present arrangement may be more clearly understood, particularly as distinguished from the prior patents referred to,

I will refer briefly to the constructions of these prior patents and point out wherein they fail to accomplish the results which it is the object of the present invention to secure.

In the first Mitchell Patent, No. 1,030,913,

the kicker roll 15 .cannot throw the unbroken.

bolls and hulls separated from the cotton back into the breaker cylinder by reason of the latter being located too high above the working chamber.. This object was sought to be overcome in the machine disclosed in the later- Patent, No. 1,322,927, where the breaker cylinder was not only located at a lower point in relation to the other working members, but was rotated in the same direction as the saw cylinder and kicker roll, so

- that unbroken bolls were easily kicked back by the kicker roll 12 into the breaker cylinder. This machine, however, proved to be unsatis factory under certain conditions for the reason that it was necessary to provide the semidanger of being carried over into not numbered, between the kicker roll and breaker cylinder, to prevent the breaker cylinderfrom throwing mixed cotton and hulls into contact with the kicker roll and having the same-carried over by the latter. It was further necessary to extend this guard very low or almost to the plane of the axis of the breaker cylinder. It was then found, in practice, in cases where the machines were loaded heavily enough to bring about any congestion in the working chamber 10, that the kicker roll 12 carried a great deal. of hulls and trash and some cotton through the space between the flights of the kicker roll and the bottom of the semi-circular guard referred to, the cotton and hulls being pinched and carried through at that point to such an extent as to destroy the practicability of the machine in all cases whereit was necessary to carry a heavy load.

In order to overcome the difliculties' and objections to the machines disclosed in the two patents referred to, the breaker cylinder in the new invention has been located at a lower point in relation to the other, members than that it is. shown to occupy in the earlier patent, and other parts constructed and arranged so that unbroken bolls and separated hulls can readily be thrown by the kickerroll back into the breaker cylinder, these two rotating'parts being so positioned with relation to each other and to the deflecting board 14 that hulls and unbroken bolls can be thrown by the roller into the breaker cylinder and carried around by the latter without any the cleaned cotton by the kicker roll 7. I

' The difiiculties encountered in machines constructed according to my Patent No.

1,322,927 have been overcome in the present invention by rotatin thebreaker cylinder in the opposite direction from that shown in" it possible for the breaker cylinder to discharge the cotton, hulls and unbroken'b olls against the'lower orti'on of the saw cylin der while the brea er cylinder is running in the opposite direction. In other words, in the use of a small saw cylinder such as that shown in my Patent No. 1,322,927, it was necessary to run the breaker cylinder in the same direction as the-saw cylinder in order :to discharge the, cotton, hulls and the like against the lower portion of the saw cylinder, and atthesame time provide ahull board with pitch enough for the loosened hulls and trash to slide out. The factors, therefore, of a breaker cylin der located in relatively close juxtaposition to the saw cylinder and kicker roll for diluo rect co-operation with these members and being rotated in a direction opposite. to that of said kicker roll and saw cylinder, an inclined deflector board for receiving the.im-.- pact of hulls and bolls thrown against it by" er cylinder to discharge the cotton and hulls and unbroken bolls against the lower portion thereof or at a point adjacent the outlet I opening 10, are the distinguishing characteristics of the present invention as compared with the machines of my prior patentsabove referred to. 4

It will be understood, of course, that the principle of operation of the machine as herein set out is not dependent upon" the exactsize and location of the parts as illustrated, but at the same time, the arrangement shown, and the relative location and arrangement of the working parts, are substantially such as'I have found in practice to yield the best results. a

The size of the saw cylinder employed can only be stated in relative terms. By reference for example, to my Patent No..1,322,927, it will be seen that the saw cylinder. there shown has a diameter something less than one.

and one-quarter times that of-the diameter of the kicker roll and a little more than one-. half that of the diameter of the breaker cylinder. In the present .case, the'diameter of the saw cylinder is somethingmore than three times that of the kicker roll and about twice that of the breaker cylinder, disregarding the beater arms. These proportions, of

course, are not absolute but they will serve to give an idea of the greatly increased size of the. saw cylinder used in the machine of the present invention as compared with. that of the saw cylinder of either of the machines ofmy prior patents.

Iclaim: 1. In a boll breaking and cotton separatlng machine, in combination with a rotatable saw,

cylinder, a rotatable kicker roll co-o'perating therewith for knocking back bolls nd hulls carried 'upby the cotton, 'a'hull-board, the

lower end of which defines the size of an es-.-" cape opening for hull-s past said saw cyl-.

inder, and a rotatable breaker cylinderpositioned to receive and act upon bolls and hulls thrown out by the kicker roll and to discharge such bolls and hulls together with the mixture of bolls, bulls and cotton delivered to the machine, and acted upon by said breaker cylinder, directly onto the saw cylinder, said breaker cylinder being adapted to be rotated in juxtaposition to said hull-board and down- 2. In a boll breaking and cotton separating machine, in combination with a rotatable saw cylinder, a rotatable kicker roll co-operating therewith for knocking back bolls and hulls carried up by the cotton, a rotatable breaker cylinder positioned to receive and act' upon bolls and hulls-thrown out by the kicker roll and to discharge such bolls and hulls together with'the mixture of bolls, hulls and cotton delivered to the machine, and acted upon by said breaker cylinder, directly onto the saw cylinder, s'aidbreakercylinder be-' ing adapted to be rotated in a direction opposite to the directionpf'rotation of the saw' cylinder, and means for deflecting hulls and bollsthrown outward by said breaker cylinder and kicker roll back into the path of rotation of the breaker cylinder.

3. In a boll breaking and cotton separating machine, in combination with a rotatable sawcylinder, a rotatable kickerroll co-operatlng H therewith for knocking back bolls and hulls carried up by the cotton, a rotatable breaker cylinder positioned to receive and act upon bolls and hulls'thrownout by the kicker roll and to discharge such bolls and hulls together with the mixture of bolls, hulls and cotton delivered to the machine, and acted upon by saidbreaker cylinder, directly onto the saw cylinder, said breaker cylinder being adapted to be rotated in a direction opposite .to'the direction of rotation of the saw cylinder, and an inclined deflector board common to said kicker roll and breaker cylinder and positioned to receive the impact of hulls.

and bolls thrown a ainstthe same by either and to deflect them back into the path of the breaker cylinder.

4. In a boll breaking and cotton separating machine, in combination with aro'tatable saw ,cylinder, a rotatable kicker roll co-operating' therewith for knocking back bolls and hulls carried up by the cotton, a rotatable breaker cylinder positioned to receive and act upon with the mixture of bolls, hulls and cotton bolls andhulls thrown out by the kicker roll J I and to discharge such bolls and hulls together. 0

delivered to the machine, and acted upon by said breakercylinder, directly onto thesaw cylinder, said breaker cylinder being adapted I to lee-rotated in adirection opposite to the. direction of rotation of the saw cylinder, and' a deflector board positioned substantiallytangentially to the circles described by the breaker cylinder and kicker roll and posi tioned to receive the impact oi hulls "and bolls thrown outward by said breaker cylinder and kicker roll and to deflect the-sameback into 4 the path of rotati'onof the breaker cylinder. j-

v5-. In a boll breaking-and .cottofi separating A machine, in "combination -'withi a,- rotatable sawcylinder, a rotatable kicker roll located over the-same andlco-o'perating therewith I for knocking back bollsfand hulls carriedxup by the cotton, a rotatable breaker cylinder located above said saw cylinder and to one side of said kicker roll and, positioned in juxtaposition to said members to receive and act upon bolls and hulls thrown out by the kicker roll and to discharge such bolls and hulls together with the mixture of bolls, hullsand cotton delivered to the machine, and acted upon by said breaker cylinder, directly onto the sawcylinder, said breaker cylinder being adapted to be rotated in a direction 0 posite to the direction of rotation of the saw cylinder, and deflecting means located above and common to said kicker roll and breaker cylin- 1 der and operating to receive the impact of the breaker cylinder.

hulls andbolls thrown against the same thereby and to deflect them back into the path of in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the saw cylinder and downwardly as respects its side adjacent saidhullboard and positioned to discharge the mixed cot-ton, bolls and hulls acted upon by it directly upon the surface of said saw cylinder at a point adjacent said outlet opening, and deflecting means common to said kicker roll and breaker cylinder for receiving the impact of hulls and bolls thrown against the same thereby and to deflect them back into the path of the breaker cylinder.

7 In a boll breaking and cotton separating machine, a casing providing a substantially enclosed space, a hullboard confining one side. of said space, a rotatable breaker cylinder mounted in said space and rotating in juxtaposition to said hullboard and downwardly as respects its side adjacent said hullboard, a saw cylinder and a co-operating kicker roll substantially confining another portion of said space, the saw cylinder being located below the breaker cylinder and, with said kicker roll, having unobstructed relation to said breaker cylinder, whereby mixed bolls, cotton and hulls fed into the machine face of said saw cylinder, and hulls and bolls knocked back by said kicker roll may be thrown into the path of movement of said breaker cylinder, and an inclined deflector v board common to said kicker roll and breaker cylinder and ositioned to receive the impact of hulls and bolls thrown against the same thereby and to deflect them back into the path of the breaker cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN E, MITCHELL.

to be acted upon by said breaker cylinder will be discharged thereby directlyonto the sur- 

